Changing demographics contributes to Democrats win

In 1996, Colorado was one of 19 mostly Southern and Western states to back underdog Republican Bob Dole in his overwhelming electoral loss to incumbent President Bill

On Tuesday, for the first time since supporting Franklin D. Roosevelt's bid for a second term in 1936, the same state joined Democrats in the rust belt, northeast and far west to back a Democratic incumbent for re-election. How did Colorado go from the reddest of red to consecutively blue so quickly? The answer may lie partly in the state's changing demography.

Colorado's Latino population has grown 42 percent in 12 years, helping to transform once-reliable Republican areas into swing counties now leaning toward Democrats.

Those same demographic shifts in GOP strongholds such as El Paso County, have helped Democrats narrow their defeat margins in counties they can't win, while forcing Republicans to defend places once considered a sure thing.